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Kid Icarus: Uprising is due out on the 3DS on March 23, bringing the popular character into the third dimension over 25 years after the launch of the NES original. And if you pre-order Kid Icarus: Uprising through GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon.com, you will receive a bonus code to download the 3D Classics: Kid Icarus game, a remastered 3D version of the NES classic!

Nintendo has also detailed some of the new features and the multiplayer modes, but it's a wall of text, so I'm going to put it after the jump. So go on and dive in if you're curious!

Light vs. Dark: Team up with other players in Light vs. Dark multiplayer mode, in which two teams of three are pitted against one another. The ultimate goal is to empty the opposing team's health meter, which transforms the last defeated team member into an angel. The team who defeats the opposing team's angel wins. This unique multiplayer mode tests players' ability to work as a team while keeping the match exciting as the focus constantly shifts from dealing out damage to protecting the team angel.

Free-for-All: In this mode, up to six players (including CPU players) combat each other in a winner-takes-all match. Winners are determined by high score, heavily influenced by both the number of kills and the number of deaths.

Match Set-up: Both Light vs. Dark and Free-for-All multiplayer modes are playable through local wireless play or online for players with broadband Internet access. CPU players will fill out the roster if there are fewer than six players in a match. Duration of the match, CPU difficulty, weapons and team handicaps are all customizable prior to beginning a multiplayer battle.

Weapons and Weapon Fusion: The wide variety of weapons a player has collected in single-player mode can be used during multiplayer matches. Players can also earn additional weapons as rewards in multiplayer play. Players can choose set combinations of weapons and powers before entering into a match. This provides further incentive for players to continue collecting different and more powerful weapons as they play through the single-player campaign. Players can also fuse weapons together at the Arms Altar. Fusing two weapons will result in a single, more powerful weapon that retains some of the key benefits of each, giving players the ability to customize weapons to match their play style. Fused weapons can also be used in multiplayer matches.

StreetPass: Through the StreetPass functionality of the Nintendo 3DS hardware, players have the ability to share one of their weapons with other Kid Icarus: Uprising owners. The selected weapon is turned into a Weapon Gem. Shared Weapon Gems can be converted into real weapons by paying Hearts. Players can also fuse Weapon Gems together by paying Hearts to create a more powerful Weapon.

Oh, and in a recent promotional video that Nintendo released, Kid Icarus: Uprising is apparently coming with a stand on which you can place your 3DS while playing. That just seems weird to me, and defeats the purpose of playing a portable game. You're supposed to be able to hold it in your hands. I mean, when I demoed Kid Icarus: Uprising at the 3DS launch event last year, my left hand got sore really quickly because you have to use the stylus on the touch screen to look and shoot, meaning the corner of the 3DS is digging into your left palm. I can see where Nintendo might think a stand would alleviate some of that discomfort, but I can't see myself using it on the subway!

3 Comments

The whole "stand" issue gets to the core of my stance on portable gaming in general. The control scheme they're going with is a analog stick + touch screen simulation of dual analog from what I understand which is practically unusable without this separate stand. At that point, why is Nintendo putting this on the 3DS?

I had a 3D "portable" system that sat on a stand and couldn't go anywhere years ago called the Virtual Boy. As much as I loved it, it wasn't fun to have to essentially kneel before it's altar anytime I wanted to play something.

If you're going to target your game to a portable system, make it simple to control. If it's not, then make it a home game. That's not so hard is it? Nobody wants a portable version of Steel Battalion, do they?

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